By Derek Maul

Friday was cold all day here in Wake Forest, 21-degrees in the morning, then hitting a high of 40 in the afternoon. It was a beautiful day; sun shining, clear air, inviting. So I bundled up and walked to the Post Office, reminded of how grateful I am we live in a walkable town.

Typically we imagine we’re too busy, or that the tasks that press in on us are so very important. “No way!” someone exclaimed the other day; “I wish I had the time to do that kind of thing!” So I set my stopwatch, suspicious that walking to the post office isn’t really such a big deal. I was right – just twenty-five minutes to achieve a little exercise, to enjoy such a beautiful day, to drink in the fresh air, to appreciate the lovely town we live in, to keep my intrusive smart-phone deep inside a pocket, to take a few moments to whisper thanks to God.

I crossed the railroad and looked down the tracks, twin steel rails curving through a stand of trees, and I wondered about the journey. Not just The Journey, but my journey; my journey here to North Carolina, the journey Rebekah and I are on together, the way forward for us as a church, the call for each one of us to continually make our way – sometimes one hesitant footfall at a time – into a future that is defined by faith, hope, opportunity, and promise.

I tried to look beyond the bend, to peer past the turn, to look into the future – and of course I couldn’t. I used to worry about that, but now I realize that the truth of promise is who walks with me, not necessarily what’s around the next corner.

“God is the one who saved and called us with a holy calling. This wasn’t based on what we have done, but it was based on his own purpose and grace that he gave us in Christ Jesus before time began.” – 2 Timothy 1:8-9

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Derek Maul
Derek Maul has written for many news outlets, including the Tampa Tribune, The United Methodist News Service, All Pro Dad, FOCUS Magazine, Newsweek, USA Today, The Christian Science Monitor, Presbyterians Today, Guideposts, Chicken Soup for the Soul and many other publications. Read Derek Maul’s daily blog posts at www.derekmaul.wordpress.com.